GUWAHATI, Oct 8: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday expressed confidence that the ruling BJP-led alliance would bag three Assembly seats – Thowra, Mariani and Tamulpur – without any “competition” in the October 30 by-polls.
The ruling party has fielded Sushanta Borgohain and Rupjyoti Kurmi for Thowra and Mariani constituencies respectively while BJP’s ally, United People’s Party, Liberal (UPPL) has nominated Jolen Daimary for the Tamulpur seat.
Speaking to mediapersons while accompanying BJP candidate from Thowra, Sushanta Borgohain for the latter’s filing of nomination papers in Sivasagar, the chief minister said that only two constituencies – Bhabanipur and Gossaigaon – would “see an attractive contest”.
“There will be no competition in Thowra, Mariani and Tamulpur while, according to my political assessment, the other two seats, Bhabanipur and Gossaigaon seats, will see an attractive contest,” Sarma said.
The chief minister was also present when Kurmi and Phanidhar Talukdar filed their nominations at Mariani and Bhabanipur respectively.
Countering claims of the Opposition Congress that Borgohain and Kurmi had “betrayed” the people by quitting Congress and joining BJP, the chief minister said that the saffron party “always puts the development of the constituency and its people before party affiliations”.
Both Borgohain, a two-time legislator from Thowra, and Kurmi, a four-time MLA from Mariani, have resigned from the Congress earlier, to join the saffron party.
“By quitting the MLA posts (weeks after winning the Assembly polls this year) and joining the BJP in the interests of the people, they have only stood with the people of the constituencies. So how can the Congress say that they have betrayed the party,” he asked.
The chief minister, while addressing rallies to garner support for the saffron party, also stated that a roadmap was being prepared for development in the respective constituencies in the next five years.